


Not So Far

by Vibe_Nation



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fake Marriage, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Friends to Lovers, Gaang (Avatar), Humor, Katara (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Marriage of Convenience, Past Aang/Katara (Avatar), Post-Break Up, Romance, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Underage Drinking, gaang grown up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29373495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vibe_Nation/pseuds/Vibe_Nation
Summary: "You could be my first wife and that would please the court. Then I could have plenty of time to find a second wife I love! Then annul the marriage because no sex! Everyone gets what they want.”“Are you…really proposing? Because that’s…” It actually made some kind of sense. “…ridiculous.”Zuko stared. Then gave a forced laugh.“Ah, I guess I am a little drunk.” He didn’t seem like it. “I’ll go to bed. Sorry. But hey, the Fire Lord wouldn’t be a terrible rebound from the avatar would it?”
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	1. It’s got to be a good one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara need clean laundry. And a hug.

_“I’m tired of this, Katara.”_

_“I’m tired of the dishes, Aang.”_

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_“I did them last week.”_

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_“Congratulations. Can you cook?”_

  


Summer heat warmed the Western Air Temple. Inverted pagodas hung like icicles above vine-covered statues carved into the rockface. Once, five years ago, Katara and her found family hid here from Fire Lord Ozai. Three years later, Aang and Katara had made it their home.

During one of Aang’s many spirit quests, Katara found a circular meditation room. She covered with walls with Water Tribe cloth and made a small bed of white furs in the corner. When Aang returned, he kissed her and said everything in the room was beautiful.

Katara sighed. That was a long time ago. The blue wall hangings were shoved into sacks, left the walls bare in the morning light. It was the only thing Katara managed to pack. There were still clothes, scrolls, trinkets, and a small box of dried seal jerky and sea prunes. Though she had lovingly made the wooden chair, table, and clay washbasin, Katara would leave them behind. Aang joked the room had everything she needed, except for him. And on one bitter night, yelled that she liked it that way. Katara closed her eyes and tried to forget their latest, their last, fight in this room.

  


_“I can make lemongrass tofu.”_

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_“I need more than lemongrass tofu and two nights of clean dishes!”_

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_“You’re losing your temper. Again.”_

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_“I have a right to!”_

  


Katara caught her reflection in the small, whalebone wall mirror. Nineteen, fresh out of a five-year relationship. Bags under her eyes, hair full of snarls. The off-color yellow robes made her look sick. She really needed to do laundry. And take a bath. But she was exhausted. She sat down on a chair. Too tired to do, or feel, much of anything. Even anger, which had coursed through her last night. 

  


_“You have the right to be angry? I’ve been waiting six years to marry you.”_

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_“What? Is this how you get out of the dishes? Whining that you weren’t engaged at thirteen?”_

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_“I always wanted to spend my life with you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”_

  


A sudden ache for her airbending best friend almost stopped her heart. Their time here had been more than just fights. He would show her animals and make little trinkets. She taught him Water Tribe dances and stories. Katara rested her head against the cool stone. Aang was sweet, kind, wise, funny, and…gone. 

  


_“You told me you didn’t mind waiting. Countless times.”_

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_“I don’t.”_

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_“Then what is this about?”_

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_“Katara, I saw you find the necklace.”_

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_“…what necklace?”_

  


Katara traced stone cracks in the floor with her feet. What if, somehow, they had met now? Or waited? Could they have worked?

“Katara!” A scream came from the other side of the whitewashed door; it slammed open. In ran Sokka, wolf tail bobbing, blue eyes brimming with tears.

“Sokka?” Katara said, bewildered, standing up. “It’s good to see you, but-oof!” The strength of Sokka’s hug forced the air out of her lungs.

“Hug out the pain.” Sokka tightened his embrace. He smelled like a wine bar.

“What are you talking about?” asked Katara, hearing the unconvincing pitch in her voice. But they couldn’t already know …could they?

“You’ll hug everything out at that rate,” Suki said, smiling. Katara had hardly noticed the Kyoshi warrior sweep into the temple. Off duty, she wore a simple dark green dress with gold fans shoved into the waistband. “Come on, sweetheart,” said Suki, ruffling her boyfriend’s hair. “Ease off.”

Sokka lessened his grip on Katara, but did not let go.

“Guys,” said Katara. “It’s so good to see you, but this isn’t the best time. Maybe later ?”

With swiftness, Sokka pulled back, looked his little sister in the eye, and glared.

“No.”

“No?” Katara asked, more than a little baffled. Her brother didn’t exactly agree with her all the time, but he respected her boundaries. Mostly. “But I’ve got a lot of work to do if you come back later we can-

“Katara,” Suki said as she pulled Sokka off. “Aang came straight to Kyoshi Island and told us everything. He gave us Appa so we could check on you.”

Katara grumbled. Of course, she didn’t even get to tell her own brother about the breakup. And she couldn’t even be mad about it because Aang was being thoughtful. Spirits, she hated breaking up with the Avatar.

Suki started to gather up the bowls on the table. Katara, with embarrassment, noticed the number of dishes scattered around her room. Sokka tried, and failed, to roll up her bed of furs.

“How is he?” Katara asked, walking to the table to help Suki.

“Rough,” said Suki. She swatted Katara’s hand away. “But the warriors are looking after him. Until the reinforcements arrive.”

“Reinforcements?” asked Katara.

“He wanted us to know this wouldn’t break up our family!” Sokka threw his around Suki who, ever graceful, didn’t drop the stack of bowls she held. “We are forever brothers.”

“They had a lot of plum wine,” said Suki as Sokka buried his face into her chest.

“Yeah.” Katara sat back down in the wooden chair, defeated. “I could guess.”

“Right!” Sokka shoved himself upright. “But we’re here for you, Katara. I love you, you’ll get through this, I’ll get the plum wine, my forever brother is terrible!” And with that, Sokka sprinted out of the room.

“You don’t have to do all this,” Katara tried as Suki picked up some spoons off the floor. “I can handle it. Maybe we can meet up after I move out?”

“Okay,” Suki said, putting the utensils in the washbasin. “You give me one hug; if you want us to go, we’ll go. I’ll drag Sokka out myself.”

“Really?”

“Really. But it’s got to be a good one.”

Suki pulled Katara into her arms, smelling like pine trees and perfume.

  


_“I’m just not ready. We talked about this.”_

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_“Did we talk? Or did you just decide?”_

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_“I get to decide, Aang.”_

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_“…what about destiny? You’re my best friend. My forever girl.”_

  


For the first time since they broke each other’s hearts, Katara let herself cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO. The next chapters are going to be about The Breakup because I have Strong Opinions and also wanted to see how sweet and supportive the Gaang would be. Spoiler Alert: they are the best


	2. Reinforcements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara gets hard liquor and harder truths

Katara spent most of the morning crying on Suki, napping, and, to Sokka’s disappointment, refraining from plum wine. Sokka made a surprisingly tasty breakfast and cleaned the dishes, impressive considering he’d been drunk for ten hours now. By the afternoon, he sobered up and helped her pack. Suki, much to Katara’s objections, started the waterbender’s laundry.

“But I’m a waterbender!” Katara argued.

“A tired one. You need a nap,” Suki countered. She was right. Katara had hardly slept the night before. Her eyes slammed shut the minute she laid down. 

She awoke to a clean, mostly packed room, and the sound of Suki and Sokka laughing outside. It made the waterbender feel taken care of…and extra aware of her dirty yellow robes. She tore them off and threw them on the floor.

Her laundry dried on some lines strung across the windowsill. With a flick of her wrist, Katara pulled the remaining water out and swirled it around her. A “waterbender’s bath” Aang had called it. Katara felt an ache, then reminded herself he had never helped with laundry. She discarded the water, changed into her favorite blue dress, and ran a comb through her hair. Katara glanced in the mirror. Better.

She walked out the meditation room and down a small path to a plateau under the hanging pagodas. Sokka cooked meat over a small fire. His girlfriend loaded a blue sack onto Appa, who dozed near a large air bender statue. The sun set behind them filled the sky with orange, red, and pink. Though still humid, it was beginning to cool. On the breeze, she could smell the last of the wildflowers. Something warmed tugged at Katara’s heart. It was a beautiful evening, and her family was right here.

Sokka looked up from the meat to his sister.

“Hey!” he cried. “You only look kinda terrible! Can we drink now?”

Katara lightly elbowed him and nodded. Sokka punched the air.

“Suki, my love!” he cried. “Retrieve the plum wine!”

Moments later, they were clinking wooden cups over sparrow-chicken. On his third glass of plum wine, Sokka gesticulated wildly with his leftover bird bones.

“ ‘Oooh! I’m the Avatar.’ You know what, Aang? You’re bald. You look like a big baby and half the time you smell like Appa. You can’t cook and you’re a vegetarian. My sister eats meat and has hair.”

“Thanks, Sokka,” Katara grinned. Though not quite tipsy, the wine was warming her. She licked the delicious amount of grease the sparrow-chicken left on her fingers. It had been a while since she had meat.

“It’s all true!” Sokka yelled.

“You look a lot better, Katara.” Suki still sipped at her first cup of wine.

Katara nodded, leaning against the Kyoshi warrior.

“I feel a lot better. And my brother cooking two meals in a row does wonders for my mental health.”

“It’s too bad we ran out of plum wine. I’m better when I’m drunk,” Sokka said, throwing the sparrow-chicken bones into the canyon behind him.

“Did someone say drunk?’ bellowed a voice from the heavens. Lit by sunset and campfire, the trio looked up.

A scarlet war balloon descended into the canyon, slim and sharp. In the black basket, a figure held two bottles pointed towards the resplendent sky. Another wore a cape, flapping into the sunset’s burning heart. He pulled fire from the dark engine, tossing it into the air. As the balloon lowered the flames, lit their faces, but there had never been any doubt.

The world’s first metalbender and the Fire Lord had arrived.

The basket landed on the edge of the plateau. Toph launched herself out of the basket and collided with Katara, a bottle of whiskey in each hand.

“I missed the hell out of you, Sugar Queen.” Toph’s tight hug lifted Katara off her feet. Katara squeezed back. Toph had grown so much over the years, though still the shortest by an inch. She still exploded with energy and command. Thick metal jewelry covered her ankles and wrists. She wore cuffed green pants, and a beige shirt, that may have once been white. Bangs in her eyes, her thick black hair was pulled into a high, messy ponytail. Toph was beautiful in an “I don’t give a fuck what you think” kind of way; it made Katara so proud.

“You too, Toph.”

Katara looked over her head to see Zuko. His hair, free of his crown, blew dark in the evening breeze. Underneath his black cape, he wore a dark red tunic trimmed with gold; broad swords hung in a black belt at his waist. The sunset made his eyes glow. Katara, for some reason, felt the need to remind herself that he was engaged. He walked toward her with deliberation and grace and…

…ate it pretty hard onto the stone floor.

“Buddy!” cried Sokka, as Katara and Suki winced. “Are you alright?”

“Ahahah! You fell!” Toph’s laugher echoed in the canyon. “I’m blind and you fell!”

“I am,” said Zuko, still lying down. “A little. Hungover.”

“Aw,” said Suki, sympathetically. “Did you try and keep up with Toph?”

“It is the biggest mistake I have ever made.”

“But what about-” Suki began.

“You can’t mean-” said Sokka. 

“It is the biggest mistake,” Zuko repeated. “I have ever made.”

“He’s right. And ya’ll better catch up,” said Toph biting off the cork of the whiskey bottle. “And you better not tap out on me like Aang.” Katara’s face fell; Toph punched her arm. “Come on, Sweetness. Cheer up. You can do better.”

“I mean,” said Zuko rolling on his side. “He is the Avatar.”

“He’s vegetarian!” cried Sokka aghast.

“Zuko!” yelled Suki.

“Thanks,” said Katara dryly.

“Sorry.” Zuko now lying on his back. “He’s dumb. You’re nice. Sorry.”

“You know.” Toph slung an arm around Katara. “You don’t have to heal his hangover if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, maybe he should get the Avatar to heal…” The smug smile dropped off Sokka’s face. “Aang! You guys are supposed to be watching Aang!”

“We dropped him off with King Boomie,” Toph said. “Besides, he said he was too hungover to feel.”

“Did they both try and keep up with you?” Katara asked, incredulous.

“Yeah.” Toph cracked her neck. “Men are idiots.”

“Katara,” Zuko tried again. “Did I mention you’re nice? And that I’m sorry?”

Katara smiled despite herself. While Toph crushed Suki and Sokka in a warrior hug, she drew the water out of the air, easy in the humidify. She put it on Zuko’s head; it began to glow. He closed his eyes, lined with thick eyelashes, and sighed. Katara felt a little lightheaded. It must have been the heat. She saw his uncharacteristically messy hair was pulled into a low ponytail.

“Over the topknot, huh?”

“Hurt too much to do hair.”

Katara laughed and studied his face, she hadn’t seen him in…a year? There were faint lines that weren’t there before. The worry lines were deeper than she would have liked, but the smile lines warmed her heart. He opened his eyes, rich with relief. Katara noticed bits of dark amber in his golden eyes.

“Thank you. So much. And I’m sorry. For all the stuff you went through. Also for showing up…like this.”

“Don’t worry. Sokka showed up drunk.”

“Still. I owe you one,” he said, sitting up. “How are you doing?”

“You know, crying. Drinking. Listening to my brother yell about how his forever brother is the worst. How is Aang?”

“About the same. But hungover.”

“You didn’t have to come. You have a nation to run.”

“I got to avoid the Earth kingdom diplomat.” Zuko stood up and dusted himself off. “Your disaster of a love life is a blessing.” He grinned.

“I shouldn’t have cured your hangover.”

“You’re right. Now come on. Let’s get drunk and trash your ex.”

* * *

The boys were terrible at trashing her ex, but it was sweet how they tried. Gathered around the campfire, Sokka didn’t have much besides bald and vegetarian. Zuko muttered something about Aang being too friendly.

“Should I talk to him?” asked Katara. Aang’s friendliness was the first thing she had liked about him.

“No,” said Toph. Katara started.

“But maybe-”

“No,” repeated Toph.

“But what if it was just a bad fight?”

“All your fights were bad.” A cool breeze blew Toph’s bangs out of her eyes.

Suki put a hand on Katara’s shoulder. Sokka was suspiciously silent.

“But Aang loved me.” Stones beneath her reminded Katara of their first days here. Aang wanted to paint them all yellow. “Don’t you think he and I should try to-”

“Didn’t you stay with him because you felt like you had to?” Zuko asked.

Katara stared at him.

“I loved Aang.”

“I know. I just…” Zuko looked around for help.

“I mean, I agree with you Zuko, but you dug this grave,” said Toph. The Fire Lord glowered in response.

“You agree with him, Toph? How?” asked Katara.

“Well, I do too,” Suki said. “Remember the last solstice? You said if you met now you two would have lasted six months?”

“That was a joke!”

“What part is funny?” asked her brother, sharply. For a moment there was only the crackle of the fire. “Sorry,” he said, soft this time. “It’s just…why didn’t you ever spend summers in the South Pole? We missed you.”

Katara put her head in her hands.

  


_“It’s not so bad, is it? I want to start the rest of my life with you. And, I mean, I’m the Avatar.”_

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_“Excuse me?”_

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_“Sorry, bad joke.”_

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_“It didn’t sound like a joke.”_

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_“It was. But…seven women proposed to me at the Unity Summit. Seven! And they didn’t even know me.”_

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_“You should have accepted one.”_

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_“What?”_

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_“You don’t care who wears that necklace, Aang, as long as they do what you want.”_

  


“…was I miserable?” she asked.

Toph was the only one who didn’t look away. By some trick, she met Katara’s eyes.

“You don’t have to be anymore.”

And for the fifth time that day, Katara cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I love Toph. You cannot tell me she is not the baddest bitch. I simply will not believe you
> 
> Feedback welcome!


	3. Haha...unless???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph, Katara, and Zuko are left to their own drunken devices. Then Toph leaves. And Zuko gets an idea.

After her tears dried (again) Sokka tried to teach them another one of his elaborate drinking games. No one understood it, but they all got drunk, so Sokka declared it a roaring success. Unfortunately, he tried to keep up with Toph again. Suki ended up carrying him to bed, bridal style, while he sloppily declared his love for her. 

So Katara lied on the stone outside the home that was no longer hers, looking up at the stars with two of her best friends. The canyon opened up in front of her. For the first time in a long time, she saw it was. Beautiful.

“Are we going to plan your rebound or what?” asked Toph. “I mean, Haru…exists.”

“He shaved last time I saw him.” Zuko took a swig of a large bottle of Earthen Ale before handing it to Toph. “It helps.”

The metalbender took a drink from a large brown bottle, then spat in disgust.

“Ale? What are we, children?”

“Kinda.” Zuko shrugged, taking the bottle back from her.

“What about you, Toph?” Katara asked.

“What about me?” Toph turned one of her metal bracelets into a hand extending a single middle finger. “Hey Zuko, did I do it right?”

“I meant, are you seeing anyone?” Katara asked.

“Not anyONE,” said the metalbender, grinning broadly. Toph sprung up and shouted into the canyon. “AnyMANY! There’s Akeno, Kalinni,” she said, listing them off on her fingers. “Earthbending Lee, seafaring Lee, and Jasmine.”

“Don’t forget Xiu,” said Zuko.

“Man, I always forget Xiu.”

“How do you have time to run a metalbending school?” asked Katara, embarrassed by her time management skills. Traveling with Aang and their relationship took up most of Katara’s time. Or it had.

“And consult the Fire Lord’s security detail,” said Zuko, with no small amount of pride.

Toph smiled, shrugged, and leaned back.

“Just blessed I guess.”

“Any of them…special?” Katara asked.

Toph squinted in concentration

“Xiu’s funny?”

“I like seafaring Lee,” Zuko added.

“That’s because he sells cheap fish to the Fire Nation.”

“Not, just that,” said the Fire Lord. “He’s a good guy.”

“How do you find all these people?” Katara asked. She smoothed and thought about her less than extensive dating history.

“They find me. Being a metalbender is sexy.” Toph scratched her dirty feet

“How?” asked Zuko, raising the brown bottle to his lips. Toph grinned. Waiting.

“Restraints.”

Zuko sprayed ale from his mouth; Toph cackled. Katara’s mouth dropped open before she burst into giggles.

“Ugh!” he cried. “Why??”

“It’s hilarious!”

“It’s gross,” Zuko muttered, wiping off his mouth.

“Come on, we’re adults.” Toph punched him in the arm. He glared at her. “I bet you have sexy firebender stuff.”

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna share it,” Zuko grumbled, lying back down on the ground.

Katara suddenly had a vivid vision of her good friend the Fire Lord, prone, shirtless, hair down, surrounded by flames. Now was not the time for an old childhood crush. 

“Toph,” Katara said quickly. “Do you remember Aiko?”

Zuko’s eyes widened. His head snapped to Katara.

“Yeah,” said Toph. “Stupid hot earth kingdom noble. What about her?”

The Fire Lord stared at Katara, pleading.

“Zuko set her skirt on fire.”

Toph guffawed. Zuko covered his face.

“I was trying to light a candle!”

“Is that what we’re calling it these days?” Katara jabbed. Toph’s laughter grew.

“I was seventeen!” He sat upright and scowled at the waterbender, his cheeks pink. “I have game now!”

“Really?” mocked Katara. “What?”

“I,” he began, spreading his arms with pride. “Am warm.”

Toph fell on the ground, gripping her sides.

“I’m serious!” said Zuko, his voice cracking.

“Please. Zuko. Stop. Can’t. Breathe,” spit out the earthbender.

“It’s game!” cried Zuko, looking almost desperate.

“Being…warm?” asked Katara. Toph began to cry.

“I can prove it!”

The firebender hurriedly scooted next to Katara, trying to ignore Toph’s silent, choking laugher.

He leaned close to Katara. She could smell him: sweet ale, smoke, and cedarwood. Zuko ran a hand down her back, warmth emitting from his fingertips in the cool night. Heat spread down her spine. He looked up at her from under his dark eyelashes.

“Hey.”

Katara yelped and jumped.

“Sugar queen!” Toph cackled. “Your pulse tripled!”

Katara buried her head in her hands.

“Really?!” Zuko said. Katara could hear the grin in his voice. She wanted to die.

“Oh yeah, Zuko. You got game. Doesn’t he, Katara?”

“You’re both drunk!” Katara yelled refusing to look at either of them, her cheeks burning. Spirits above, was Zuko giggling?

“Drunk and sex-ayyy,” said Toph.

“I’m sexy too!” Katara cried, popping her head up. Toph and Zuko laughed harder. “Really! I did stuff! Sexy ice stuff! And the Avatar was my boyfriend! All the elements. You don’t even know!”

“We might know a little,” said Toph. Zuko elbowed her. Hard.

“What?” said Katara.

“Nothing,” coughed Toph, suddenly very interested in adjusting her jewelry.

“Zuko, what is she talking about?”

“What talking? Katara, is that dress…new?”

“No.”

There was a stifled laughed from Toph; Zuko elbowed her again. The realization hit Katara.

“He told you everything, didn’t he?”

“…yep,” said Zuko, cheeks red. “Sorry.”

Katara threw her face into her hands again. Toph, smelling like warm earth and whiskey, sat next to her. She nudged Katara's shoulder affectionally.

“Come on, Sweetness. It’s okay. It was mostly drunk gushing about how great you are. You’ve never gotten drunk and bragged to Suki?”

“…there wasn’t much to brag about.”

“Yikes,” said Toph. Katara grins at that. “You wanna talk about it?”

Katara shook her head. Toph ruffled her hair.

“Good, because I’ve been awake for almost twenty-four hours. Night losers.”

“Night,” said Zuko, staring up at the moon.

As Toph made to leave, her foot caught on a sizeable fissure in the stone. Katara turned away to grab a bottle of ale, expecting the earthbending to adjust the stone ground with ease.

Then she heard the “crack.” Katara flung her head around to see Toph on the ground, her ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.

“Toph!” Katara ran to her friend, knowing this would need more than bending water.

“Survived the 100-year war. First broken bone,” said Toph through gritted teeth. “I’ll walk again, right? Right?”

“Toph, relax.”

“Katara, you would tell me.

"You wouldn’t lie, you-”

“I’m in love with you,” said Katara.

“What?”

At that moment, Katara snapped the broken ankle back into place. Toph smacked the ground with her hands, stones flew into the air. And with a wave of the waterbender’s hand, glowing water surrounded the broken ankle. Katara winced as she heard the crack of bones and the grind of Toph’s teeth. Then, there was silence.

“Better?” Katara asked.

“I think so. Thanks. So, why are you ‘in love with me’?”

Katara checked Toph’s ankle.

“Distraction.”

“Thought so.”

Zuko, who Katara realized was standing right next to them, helped Toph stand up. She wobbled slightly, waved him off, flexed her ankle, and sighed.

“Kind spirits, that was terrifying.” Toph then stomped her foot, launching the fissured rock into the canyon below. “Imma head out. You kids have fun.” She waved and walked down the stone corridor to her room, relishing the heavy fall of her footsteps.

“Wow,” said Katara. “I’ve never seen her fall before.”

“I’m going to check on her,” said Zuko standing up. A stone wall came up in the pathway. “I will not check on her.” He sat back down. “She’s probably fine. But you know. How she’s been. The anniversary is coming up.”

Katara nodded. She had been at the funeral last year. Watched Toph sit dry-eyed as they lowered her mother into the earth. How she had joined their terrible little club of motherless children. They had fought a war when they were kids and they still kept finding terrible ways to grow up.

“So…” he started. “How did the whole ‘I’m in love with you’ distraction begin?”

Katara shrugged, her energy depleted. Zuko nudged her shoulder encouragingly. Maybe he didn’t want to think about dead mothers either. So, she tried.

“Well. This guy. Haruk. He was hitting on me, a lot. And one day he dislocated his shoulder. He was so tense I couldn’t reset it. I told him I loved him and snapped it back into place. Sometimes I’ll ask them to marry me. Depends on my mood.”

Marriage made her think of Aang. She was so tired of losing people.

“You…alright?” Zuko asked.

Katara nodded and bit her lip. Then shook her head.

“He carved me a necklace you know. It was yellow. Air symbol on one side, water on the other. He saw me find it. I was horrified. He asked me why. I told him. He snapped it in half. I know we weren’t…right for each other. But we were such good friends. And now it’s all ruined.”

Zuko put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

Katara shrugged, tired of her feelings.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask about you earlier,” she said. “How are you doing? Have you and Mai set a date?”

“Shockingly, there’s not going to be a wedding. Really couldn’t bounce back after I stabbed her dad,” said Zuko, dryly.

Katara blinked.

“Stabbed?”

“I couldn’t exactly bend after he poisoned me, Katara.”

“Poisoned?!”

“Yes, Katara.” Zuko rolled his eyes. “Because I dishonored him. And now she’s with Tai Lee. You’re acting like this is news.”

“It is news!”

“…it is?”

“Yes!”

“…I didn’t tell you?”

“No!”

“Oh.”

“What happened?”

“…stuff.” 

“Stuff??”

Zuko took a deep breath.

“About a year ago I found out Mai’s dad was draining money from charity funds. I gave him a chance, for Mai’s sake, to stop. He didn’t stop.”

“Is he okay?”

“Now he is. I could have sworn I told you.” The dryness faded from his voice. “The council has been in a panic since Mai and I broke up. They want heirs. And no one is exactly beating on the doors for…this.” He gestured to himself, lingering on his face.

Katara realized Zuko didn’t notice what everyone else seemed to. Even Suki, and on one drunk occasion Sokka, had confessed to taking a peek.

“Are you…serious?”

“Right, I know.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m Fire Lord. Someone will marry me for power. Hooray for politics.”

Katara grabbed him.

“You trained the Avatar, brought peace to your kingdom, are a good leader, brave, relentless, honorable, good looking,” she said the last couple words very quickly. “And a good, kind friend.”

“I am?”

“Yes. And If you don’t cheer up, I’ll hug you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

“…one more sad thing?”

Katara recalled sitting here with Aang. She was so sad, though she didn’t know why. Aang was begging her to cheer up. And she just wanted to cry.

“Of course,” Katara said.

“I know a loving marriage is a luxury. And I can deal with that. I’d make bigger sacrifices for my country. But…Mai found Tai Lee. Tai Lee is always happy. I’m not…always happy. What if, even if I could marry for love, no one would want -”

Katara hugged the Fire Lord tightly around his middle. He stiffened.

“I warned you I’d hug you if you didn’t cheer up.”

Zuko melted into her embrace.

“You did warn me.”

They sat there for a moment like that. Two warm figures under the stars.

“You know,” Zuko began, his arms still around her. “This is the longest I’ve hugged someone since…”

“Mai?”

“Shockingly, not much of a hugger.”

“How did you two meet?”

“Childhood.”

“Ugh. We have to meet people now. How? Where?”

“I have five Fire Nobles I could set you up with.”

“…are you serious?”

“What? You know I’ve been looking to strengthen ties between our nations.”

“Have you been playing matchmaker in the forty-eight hours since my breakup?”

“That’s ridiculous. I found out twenty-four hours ago.”

“Unbelievable.”

“Wow, Zuko.” The Fire Lord began a high-pitched and terrible impression of Katara’s voice. She giggled. “Thanks for hooking me up with rich, handsome, good-looking nobles. That could benefit both our nations. You’re a really good friend.”

“Look. I’m coming off the Avatar. I need top-tier royalty, not some noble.”

“I think Azula’s single.”

“Ugh!” she pretended to push him away, giggling.

“Uncle might be a good match.”

“Stop it!” Katara smacked his chest.

“I mean, I’m single.”

It was then Katara remembered they still had their arms around each other. She panicked. There must have been a change in her face because Zuko rolled his eyes.

“Don’t panic Katara, it was a joke.” He released his arms; she missed the warmth. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“You know, I hear the Avatar is single now,” Katara tried. “You can’t do better.”

Zuko laughed. “I guess I deserved that.”

“What would it be like?” she teased. “Having Aang as your Fire Lady?”

Zuko ran his hands through his hair. “Honestly? Not that bad. He’s my friend and Mai…the next Fire Lady would be more of a diplomat anyway. Him flying everywhere and helping people would be great. And he’d know enough so I wouldn’t have to decide every place he went. What a relief.”

“It sounds great.”

“Why? Reconsidering my offer?” A grin in his eyes. “What a great link between our nations.” The smile in his eyes turned to contemplation. “And I’d have an intelligent and trustworthy consultant …”

“Zuko, you’re still joking right?”

“Yeah, but think about it. It would be easier to increase the reparations for your tribe. You would make an excellent diplomat. And royalty commonly pursues romance outside marriage. You said last solstice you wanted to travel on your own. And I know you and Aang were frustrated by lack of resources.”

“You are serious.”

“Katara, you may not know this, but my singleness is not only upsetting to the council. If I die, the title will go to uncle, who can’t bear any more heirs, and then who’s remaining?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Azula has supporters, believe it or not. When Mai and I were together everyone figured it would be a matter of time. But it’s a ticking clock now...”

“And who exactly would bear your heir in this hypothetical, Zuko?

Zuko looked away, embarrassed. Then snapped his fingers.

“Second wife! Not uncommon. Very valid succession. You could be my first wife and that would please the court. Then I could have plenty of time to find a second wife I love! Then annul the marriage because no sex! Everyone gets what they want.”

“Are you…really proposing? Because that’s…” It actually made some kind of sense. “…ridiculous.”

Zuko stared. Then gave a forced laugh.

“Ah, I guess I am a pretty drunk.” He didn’t seem like it. “I’ll go to bed. Sorry. But hey, the Fire Lord wouldn’t be a terrible rebound from the Avatar, would it?”

Katara laughed. Zuko awkwardly waved as he walked away, which she found uncomfortably endearing. Instead of heading to the bed she once shared with Aang, or the furs in the meditation room, she opted for a sleeping bag near the fire.

Looking at the flames, she thought of the last time they all slept like this. Back when Aang was the little brother she always wanted. When she didn’t mind taking care of him in exchange for jokes and smiles. Five years ago. Love seemed very far away.

But then she turned. She saw the bones of the food her brother cooked, the ashes of the fire Suki made, and the (now empty) bottles Toph brought her. Katara touched her arms, remembering how Zuko’s had felt. Her friends had come from around the world, just for her. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought that, perhaps, love wasn’t so far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FRIENDSHIP IS LOVE KATARA. 
> 
> I love the romance genre to death, but I feel like it could explore different kinds of love. Romantic love is just one part of the rich love in our lives. And the Gaang really love each other. Also, I really wanted to capture how hard long term breakups can be, even when its for the best. You can still love someone and know they are no good for ya brah. If this paragraph were a drinking game, you would drink every time I typed love. Love. LOve. Love. LOVE. 
> 
> Also, like how many of you miss getting drunk and hugging your friends? Goddamnit I miss it SO MUCH


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